Personality
This week’s biggest Winners & Losers
Who’s up and who’s down this week?
Many of us learned about the Koh-i-Noor diamond this week, when New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would like to tell King Charles III that the British should give it back. Upon some cursory Googling … yeah, it kinda seems like this thing should go back to India. It was originally mined there and passed through many different hands before ending up with Great Britain in 1849 as part of what seems like a pretty sketchy treaty. Then they proceeded to recut it, shaving off 40% of it??? Then it was put into a crown and worn literally twice. Read on for the Winners who gleamed this week and Losers who didn’t.
Carl Wilson -
Carl Wilson may have been the favorite going into the City Council special election on the west side of Manhattan this week. He was backed by his would-be predecessor, the City Council speaker and heavy-hitting unions. But his chances were looking a little less certain after Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed his opponent in the 11th hour. That wrinkle likely made Wilson’s blowout, all-but-certain victory all the sweeter – even if it does launch him head first into a tense veto fight.
Erika Shields -
Following weeks of doubt, Erika Shields prevailed and won a narrow 5-4 Common Council vote to become the new Buffalo police commissioner. The former top cop in Atlanta and Louisville successfully overcame questions regarding a police shooting in Atlanta, objections from community advocates in Atlanta and Louisville and concerns from Council members unhappy with her $250,000 annual salary – and now she’s the first woman and first out gay person to lead the Buffalo Police Department.
Jenifer Rajkumar -
The lady in red has gotten the green light to appear on the ballot after a judge dismissed the petition fraud case against her for procedural reasons. Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar’s democratic socialist opponent had filed a lawsuit against her, accusing her of widespread fraud in her petition signatures. But the judge ultimately tossed the case, securing Rajkumar’s place on the ballot. Congressional candidate Effie Phillips-Staley had a similar win after a different judge dismissed a petition fraud case that Rep. Mike Lawler had filed against her.
Zohran Mamdani -
Seems that Mamdani Magic isn’t transferable. The fact that Lindsey Boylan lost by double digits despite the mayor’s endorsement was bad news for him – and what made it hurt worse was that Speaker Julie Menin had picked the winning candidate. But Comptroller Mark Levine shined a harsh light on both of their pied-à-terre dreams with a report that the $500 million is a bit optimistic. Worst of all for the mayor, a man died by suicide in a city-funded hotel room after he was moved out of a homeless shelter on the Mamdani administration’s order.
Betty Rosa -
Third through eighth graders tend to dread this time of year in New York ahead of an onslaught of standardized tests. Remember how you made sure you had your No. 2 pencils for standardized tests with you? State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa is probably longing for those days right about now, as state math exams across New York were paused or delayed after students struggled to log on to the state’s digital testing platform. A loss for Rosa, but a win for the kids.
Jessica Tisch -
Timothy Brown, a man from Brooklyn who was beaten by two police officers after they mistook him for a drug suspect in a liquor store, sued the city and the NYPD for violating his rights. The incident, which was caught on camera, spurred a wave of outrange. And while Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch wasn’t directly involved, heavy is the head that bears the crown.